


Stay

by Angelicat2



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angry Keith (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Protective Team, Sad Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 15:46:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18995677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: Keith gets kicked out of his apartment for being gay. His friends reassure him that they are his friends, and Shiro confesses that he likes Keith as a little more than that.





	Stay

Shiro opened the door to a livid Keith.

"Keith?" He asked as the other man marched by him into his apartment, burning glare in his dark eyes as he stormed by. He had not been expecting his best friend to make an appearance today. They had planned to meet up tomorrow for lunch at the Paladin Palace, their favorite restaurant. 

"That goddamn..." Keith muttered angrily under his breath before tossing his bag on Shiro's large couch in the corner, "Fucking...Got mad at my wolf...but noooo..."

Shiro frowned as he closed the door. Glancing through the window, he could see Keith's scarlet motorcycle in the back of a rental vehicle, Kosmo sticking his head out the window. 

"...the fucking hell," Keith continued to curse as he ripped off his knife from his belt and his jacket, flinging them onto the bag. His hands were shaking with his rage, and Shiro was no closer to figuring out what was wrong.

"Keith?" He asked cautiously as Keith gritted his teeth, "What's going on?"

"Can I stay here for a few days?" Keith practically begged as he turned his beautiful eyes to the older. Shiro nearly scoffed. Keith didn't have to ask because Shiro would do anything for him, including letting him stay over for as long as he needed it. They had done it before, just not with all of his stuff coming over.

"Of course, you can," Shiro smiled as he glanced at the door, "As long as you want to. You better let Kosmo in, he looks lonely out there by himself."

Keith nodded his head before grinning softly at Shiro, a bit happier now, but still mad under the surface. Shiro would find out what was wrong in a few days, Keith told him everything as he told Keith the same. They were childhood friends, after all. Knew each other since they were just ten and fourteen years old. Shiro knew Keith well enough to know that he needed time to think things over and settle down. Plus, he did like Keith's giant blue heeler/collie dog, Kosmo. The dog was adorable and loved to play fetch when he was around Shiro.

"Thanks, Shiro," Keith breathed for a moment, "I don't know how long I'll be over here. Shouldn't be too long."

Something within him spiked at that. Keith and he didn't get to spend that much time together. Sure, they worked at the same place. It was a business for various things like mechanics or shipping out equipment to NASA. But they both worked in different sections. They didn't get to hang out as much as Shiro wished. 

That and Shiro had a big fat crush on Keith...but Keith didn't need to know that. That would just make things awkward between them. Shiro was sure Keith probably wasn't even attracted to him. There were plenty of times in their youth where Keith threw in that Shiro was a brother to him. Shiro didn't want to disrespect that.

"Take your time," Shiro urged as he placed his hand on the younger's shoulder, "I'm happy to have you here."

Keith smiled at him this time, much softer than before. Shiro was tempted to grab the other into a kiss, but he stomped it down as he moved to the door. Keith followed him as Kosmo barked excitedly at them.

.....

"Geez," Lance scoffed as he glanced at them, "Did Keith get booted from his apartment again? This is like...his tenth one in a year."

Shiro sighed as he glanced at his best friend who sat beside him on his couch. Keith was tense, body stiff as he drank his bottle of earl grey tea. Shiro was sure he suddenly wanted something stronger. Lance sat to Keith’s other side, usually a tolerable companion to Keith. Pidge, Hunk, and Allura sat across from them on another sofa.

"It's none of your business, Lance," Keith huffed as he glared at the man who raised a brow, "Drop it."

Lance, of course, wouldn't take a hint. Shiro sat back in his seat, offering Keith his silent support by putting his hand on his shoulder. The younger relaxed slightly under his fingers, but his muscles quivered a bit regardless.

"Dude, we work with you," the man gestured to Pidge, Hunk, and Allura who all nodded, "You get paid well. It's not a money thing...unless you're spending it on someone."

A light bulb seemed to go off in his head as his eyes widened. Shiro's heart twinged in slight heartbreak at the suggestion. 

"Who's the new lady?" Lance asked as he shuffled into Keith's space, which he didn't seem to notice that the older didn't like. Keith inched to the side some, almost on Shiro's lap by now, "Did you buy her a new motorcycle and stuff too? Because that's a lot of money to be spending on this lady."

"Lance," Pidge stared at him flatly, eyes irritated, "What does it matter what Keith spends his money on? You spend yours on those ridiculous clothes and random women who are not interested."

"Not anymore!" Lance shouted before he turned to Allura who smiled, "I've only got eyes for one princess, and she's right here."

"Lance," Allura shook her head before frowning, "We should perhaps leave Keith's love life to him."

Shiro's heart panged again. 

"But this is Keith!" Lance waved his arms around, "His love life is news! He never dates! He doesn't show emotion! For all we know, he's a robot. The loner type, you know? Emo!"

"Lance," Hunk sighed as he stared at him, "We've been over this before, buddy. What Keith does is his business."

"Yeah but ten apartments!" Lance shouted as he almost jumped up, "Ten! In a year! How do you manage to do ten?! Did you start a fight or something?"

Keith glared at him before biting his lip. Shiro frowned as he thought about it. There was no logical reason to be kicked out of that many places in that amount of time. He didn't think Keith had done anything wrong for all of those, so it worried him. But it was no use in bothering him to talk about it though. Keith would talk when he needed to.

Or it was time apparently...

"Did Kosmo eat their gardens or something? Did he chase their cats around?" Lance didn't seem to notice Keith glaring at him, "Did they find something on you? Are you doing drugs, man? I mean, if you ar-"

"Shut up!" Keith screamed as he slammed his hands onto the table before them, making them jump in surprise, "There were no drugs! My dog didn't do anything wrong! I'm not fucking wasting my money on some lady, okay! I got kicked out of all of them because I'm into guys!"

"Wait...what?" Lance squeaked as they all fell silent. Sadness raced through Shiro's body as Keith went on.

"Yeah, I'm gay," Keith spoke as he narrowed his eyes, "And apparently every landlord didn't like that. It’s bad enough with what I had to put up with it in some of the foster homes. I didn’t tell anyone anything, I never brought anyone over, but people still found out. I’m sure half the time, my neighbors told them.”

“Well, then fuck those neighbors,” Hunk blurted out and everyone stared at him. He didn’t pause, “And screw the landlords, man. We don’t care if you are or aren’t straight. That’s just fucked up. They can’t do that.”

“Well, you go tell them that,” Keith glared off to the side before he sighed, “I never said anything...because well...you guys are tight-knit and I’m just the guy who works with you.”

“Keith!” Pidge stared at him with wide eyes, “What the hell? We care about you. We wouldn’t be hanging out at Shiro’s if we didn’t.”

“Yeah, but you know Shiro, so it doesn’t matter,” Keith gazed at them before turning his eyes to the table in front of him, “You’d be over here anyway.”

“Yeah, but this place wouldn’t be home without you,” Lance spoke as Keith snapped his head up in surprise. The others nodded, “Dude...mullet...Keith...Where did half of these paintings come from in this living room?”

“Uh,” Keith blushed the slightest, “I made them.”

“Yeah, and Shiro hung them up,” Lance began as Shiro blushed this time. He never got rid of any of Keith’s paintings, no matter how old they were, “What is most of the color of this room?”

“Red,” Keith raised a brow in confusion.

“I remember a time when Shiro had it all black,” Allura grinned as she sent Shiro a sly smirk, to which he blushed more, “But someone convinced him to make it red.”

“Yeah!” Lance shouted as he laughed, “And who else here wouldn’t understand the jokes I make?”

“It’s Voltron!” Keith scowled as he glared, “It literally is faster that way. Just say Voltron, okay?”

“See, that’s what I mean!” Lance snickered as Keith blinked in surprise, “Man, seriously. You’re part of our family.”

“Yeah,” Hunk nodded as tears danced before his eyes, “We’re a family, man. We love you.”

Shiro snickered as the group was grabbed up into a strong hug, courtesy of Hunk. Shiro relaxed into it as he hugged Keith close, feeling his side pressing to his best friend’s side. The group was crying by now.

“Yeah, Keith,” Pidge sniffed after a moment, “We don’t care. You’re Keith, nothing else. You’re another brother to me, you know? I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“Exactly, Keith,” Allura grinned as she hugged him tighter, “You are are friend, and we care about you deeply. Some more than others.”

Damn it. She was staring at Shiro again with that knowing smirk. The older’s face burned brighter, enough that his face should have burned through Keith’s neck by now. Dark eyes gazed at him in confusion before they softened.

“Let’s let these two idiots talk,” Pidge laughed loudly, but it all faded as Shiro stared at his best friend. Keith looked happier now than he had been just a bit ago. Shiro felt himself relax as Keith did the same.

“So...you’re okay with it?” Keith asked him quietly, like he was afraid the older would think any different of him if so.

“Of course, Keith,” Shiro grinned before pulling him into a hug, “Keith, I’d love you regardless. You know that. And you know I’m into guys too.”

“Oh yeah,” Keith gasped softly, and Shiro chuckled, “Don’t laugh. I was having a midlife crisis over here.”

“Okay,” Shiro nodded as he rested his head against Keith’s shoulder, “But I will always help you, Keith. Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have let you stay with me.”

“I didn’t want to be a burden,” Keith stared into his eyes at first before he blushed and glanced away, “And...uh...I have a crush on you.”

Shiro’s brain stopped working. Keith just said that he had a crush on him. Holy...quiznak…

“Wh-when?”

“Uh...forever,” Keith grinned softly as he looked at Shiro who lost his breath, “Since we went to the same school and you told me you’d always be my friend, I guess. I don’t know...it kinda shifted...somewhere.”

“Me too,” Shiro smiled as Keith’s eyes widened, “I love you, Keith...in that way, not a brotherly way.”

“Heh,” the younger laughed, ebony hair falling into grey-violet eyes, “We are idiots.”

“We are,” Shiro laughed before pulling him closer, “Want to stay here with me?”

“For the night or…” Keith trailed off, looking down at his lips. 

“For as long as you want,” Shiro smirked before pressing his face to the other’s chest, “That didn’t sound too cheesy, did it?”

“Nah,” Keith wrapped his arms around him, “It’s you. Nothing you say will ever be too cheesy.”

“Well-”

“Okay, lovebirds!” Pidge called back to them as they both looked over to the group in the kitchen, “We get that you two are a thing now, but can we please have some food!”

“Yeah,” Lance sent Shiro gun fingers before plopping down on one of the older’s high chairs, “I’m starving, guys. I missed lunch.”

“Only because you were too busy ogling a certain someone,” Pidge teased as she sat beside him.

“Yeah,” Lance breathed out softly as he stared at a blushing Allura, “Yeah, I was.”

“Great,” the woman in green scowled in mock frustration, “I’m surrounded by lovestruck idiots.”

Shiro snickered as he placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder. Glancing at him, he grinned as Keith smiled at the rest of the group. Keith was beautiful, and Shiro was glad his feelings were out there now. Maybe Keith would stay forever.


End file.
